If your jaw is hurting, it could be caused by different things. Read below so you can figure out why you are having this pain, so you can take steps to get rid of it.
Infected Tooth
If you have an infected tooth, also known as an abscessed tooth, this is a usually due to having tooth decay. When you have a decayed tooth and do not receive treatment, it can cause infection to spread from the roots of the infected tooth to your jaw bones.
To get rid of the pain in your jaw, visit your dentist to make sure you do not have an abscessed tooth. If you do, they will prescribe antibiotics to get rid of the infection. They will then likely do a root canal to remove the inflamed tissue. Your dentist can go over with you how they will do the root canal.
Myofascial Pain Syndrome
There is a tough tissue layer that is called fascia that covers your muscles, including the muscles in the jaw. When there is an injury to these muscles, it can cause the jaw muscles to contract and tighten, which puts painful pressure on your jaw. It will likely hurt if you touch this area. In a case like this, you should see a doctor, who can evaluate you to determine the best course of treatment.
In some cases, the problem can happen if you grind your teeth, especially at night when you are sleeping. If you are having this type of pain, you should see your dentist first. If the problem is due to grinding your teeth, they can give you a mouth guard that covers your teeth to wear at night while you are sleeping.
Improper Bite
The jaw pain could be the result of you having an improper bite, which is where your teeth do not meet properly when your mouth is closed. This could happen due to having wisdom teeth that are impacted, or you may have sucked your thumb a lot when you were a child.
You should see your dentist who may send you to an orthodontist to fix the bite. The orthodontist may suggest braces to move the teeth back into the position they need to be in. If you have impacted wisdom teeth, this means they have not erupted, so you cannot see them. The dentist can do an x-ray to see if your teeth are impacted, and if so, send you to an oral surgeon to remove the wisdom teeth.
These are some possible causes of jaw pain, but you'll want to see a dentist, like Paul Dona DDS, to figure out which option is causing your problem and have it treated. Until you can see a doctor or dentist for your jaw pain, take an over the counter pain medication aned put a cold compress on it to see if it helps.
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